Compactor for a tying machine



Jan. 7, v-1958 B. H. BUNN 5 2,818,796

coMPAcToR FOR A TYING MACHINE Filed sept. 16. 1953 2 sheets-snm 1 l y7.a'. I 23 j v M i7 2l l .5-

Jan. 7, 1958v I B. H. Bu-NN I '2,818,795

coMPAc'roR FOR A 'mm3 MACHINE y Filed sept. 1s. 195s 2 sheets-snee: 2

Ffqf

i INVENTORL.-

efgamzz J1. 5101/2 BY v :Qar'n g5- United States Patent @ddee 2,818,796 Patented Jan. '7, 1958 CGMPACTQR FR A TYING MACHINE Benjamin H. Bunn, Chicago, lll.,` assigner to B. H. Bunn Company, Chicago, 111'.,-y a corporation of Illinois Application September 1.6, 1953', Serial No. 380,557

4 Claims. (Cl. 1.00-27)A rThis invention relates to a compacter for a tying machine.

For purposes of illustration this. invention will be described with reference to its application to a tying machine of the general type disclosed,y in my prior Patent No. 1,606,290, dated Nov. 91,. 1926, but it isunderstood that the invention may be applied with equal facility to tying. or wrapping machines of any welleknown types.

Some of the materials which it is frequently desirable to tie together, either singly or in bundles, for easy handling and storage, areshrubs and bushes including those of the ilowering varieties, suchas rose bushes and the like. When the shrubs are of a, thorny nature, itis an unpleasant and sometimes hazardous. task for an operator of a tying machine, tol compact the material by hand to a desired size prior to effecting the tying operation. Even without thorns, it is diiicultV to manage, a shrub or a. bundle of shrubs on a tyingy machine in` a` manner to hold them in compacted form at theA same` time that the twine is wrapped around, the shrub or bundle as a part of the tying operation. The operator-shands. must of necessity be kept outside, the sweep of the tying arm of the machine toy avoid having his handsv bound to the shrubs, and when shrubs are relatively tal'l,. this requirement must leave a large portion of the shrubs uncompacted, particularly when the twine is tobe wrappedlirst round the baser of the shrub and thenat spaced positions therealong.

A general object of this invention is to provide a com-- pactor for a; tying machine wherein. saidl compacter may be used to hold shrubs, bushes` or the like in conripact'edy condition while twine wrapping and tying operations are being eifected.

Another object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for a shrub or the like into which the united portion of the shrub may be inserted, the receptacle being of a gradually diminishing.crosssectional size, so that as the material is advanced, into the receptacle, it will likewise be reduced in cross-sectional area and compacted thereby. l

As another object, this invention has within its purview the provision of a device for holding and compacting thorny shrubs, bushes or the like while being tied, to protect the user form injury by the thorns.

My invention has for another object the provision of a compactor for shrubs or the like which is readily and economically adaptable to existing tying machines.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective front View of a tying machine to which the compacter of this invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, with some of the parts omitted of the compactor wherein the section is taken substantially along a line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of the pivotal mounting for the compactor and twine arm.

The details of the tying machine for which the present invention has been designed, particularly the means for driving the tying arm and theknotter, are not part of the present invention and accordingly will not be described in detail herein. A description of these portions of the machine, and in fact, of an entire tying machine ot the type to which this invention may be applied is contained in, my aforementiioned Patent No. 1,606,290, dated Nov. 9, 1926, and the description in that patent is incorporated herein by reference insofar as features common to the two machines are concerned.

For the purpose of providing an understanding of this invention, it may be observed generally that the tying machine embodies a frame 10 on which is mounted a table 11, the rear edge l2 of which is spaced from the back portion 13 of said machine. ln the region of the back portion 13 a twine arm 14 is supported for rotational movement, which twine arm includes a section l5 eX- tending radially of the path of rotational movement and a horizontal section 16 extending from the end of the radial section, the horizontal section terminating in the vicinity of the edge 12 of table 11. Twine 17 has one end anchored at, and extending from a knotter, shown in dotted outline at 13 in Fig. 2, to the free end of the horizontal section i6 of the twine arm 14 and thence through said twine arm i4 and past suitable guides (not shown) to a twine holder 19 located near the bottom of frame l0.

Mounted for swinging movement on a hub 20 of the twine arm 14 is a back plate 21 having the greater poriton thereof disposed substantially below the center of rotation of hub 20, so that the weight of the plate normally tends to hold it in the position shown in Figs. l and 2. Due to the fact that the twine arm 14 sweeps completely around the article to be tied, and because the parts for supporting the shrub or article to be tied are divided and spaced to provide for passage of the twine therearound, the back plate 2l is most conveniently supported from the hub 20, so that plate 21 is free to swing about its support.

Secured to back plate 21 is a second plate 22 which is somewhat inclined with respect to table 11, so that its free edge which is remote from its supported end and adjacent the table 11 is approximately at the same level as the top of table 11, and its supported end is somewhat below the level of table l1.

Secured to plate 22 is a receptacle 23 which in the disclosed structure, gradually diminishes in cross-sectional area from an open forward end adjacent table 1l to a rear ward region adjacent plate 2l. In the form chosen for illustrating this invention, the cross section of receptacle l2 resembles an ellipse, although it is understood that other cross sectional shapes might be utilized, it having been found that the elliptical cross-section is simple to manufacture, as well as convenient for use. Thus, receptacle 23 may be made from sheet steel which has been properly shaped so that when it is formed with overlapping marigns, the elliptical cross section is produced. The overlapping margins are welded or otherwise secured together to provide a relatively rigid receptacle which will resist expansion.

Receptacle 23 is secured to plate 22 by rivets or the like or alternatively may be spot welded thereto if the thickness of the materials involved renders spot welding convenient. The upper part of receptacle 23 is braced and secured to back plate 2l by a metal strap 24, one end of which is secured to back plate 21 and the other end of which is secured to receptacle 23.

Table 11 has a stationary and upwardly extending guide 25 secured thereto adjacent the open forward end of the receptacle 23 and at the right of table 11, as viewed in Fig. 1. Said guide 25 serves as an abutment to assist the insertion, alignment and compacting of a shrub or material in receptacle 23 as will be further explained.

When in use, the compactor of this invention serves to draw the free ends of the branches or stems of the shrubbery together and thereby effects a reduction in the thickness or cross sectional area of the shrub, bush or the like. This is done automatically by the operator when a shrub or bundle of shrubs to be tied is inserted into receptacle 23. Due to the diminishing cross sectional area of the receptacle 23, the insertion of the shrub into that receptacle will cause the ends of the branches or stems to be continuously brought closer and closer together until either the back plate 21 is reached, or the base of the shrubbery is disposed over the point where the twine is to be wrapped and tied. When the twine is to be tied at several points along the shrub, the shrub is iirst inserted into receptacle 23 the maximum distance, that is, with the lowermost point of the shrub at which twine is to be wrapped located substantially between the edge l2 of table 11 and the forward edge of receptacle 23, and a reach of twine is wrapped and tied at that point. The shrub is then pulled out a short distance and the wrapping and tying operation is repeated until the wrapping and tying of the shrub at several points is completed. ln this manner, the tying of the shrub will start with the latter in its most compacted form and the shrub will be held in substantially that form by the rst reach of wrapped twine until the next reach of twine is wrapped around the shrub, and so on.

Situations may arise wherein the normal spread of the free branches of the shrub is greater than the widest opening provided by receptacle 23 so that preliminary cornpacting is necessary in order to permit the insertion of a shrub into the receptacle 23. The natural method of eecting this preliminary compacting is to press the loose ends of the shrub against the edge of the receptacle 23 and then swing the shrub around until it is aligned with the axis of receptacle 23. This method of eecting preliminary compacting of the shrub might result in a rotation of receptacle 2.3 about its swinging support which would then bring the shrub somewhat out of alignment with the twine wrapping and knotting portions of the machine. This diliculty, however, is avoided by the use of the upright guide 25. It may be observed that guide 25 is secured to table 11, and hence provides a lirm abutment against which the loose ends of a shrub may be pressed to produce a preliminary compacting. lf desired, guide 25 may be given some resilience to accommodate irregularly formed shrubs, and so that said guide 25 may be moved to the right as viewed in Fig. l to avoid unduly reducing the cross sectional area available for the insertion of shrubs.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of preferred forms of the invention and that the scope of this invention is not to be limited thereto but is to be determined by the appended claims.

1. In combination, a tying machine including means for swinging a reach of twine in a predetermined plane, and a compactor for bundles of loose brous material to be tied thereby, said compactor comprising a receptacle for a portion of each bundle having an inner surface delining a progressively decreasing cross-sectional area from one end of the receptacle to the other, means for pivotally mounting said receptacle on the tying machine with the wide part of the receptacle adjacent said predetermined plane and adapted to receive the material to be tied, and a stationary stop against which the material protruding from the compactor may rest to steady the pivoted compactor while the bundle is being tied.

2. In combination, a tying machine and a compactor for bundles of loose fibrous materialto be tied thereby, said compactor comprising a receptacle for a portion of each bundle having an inner surface defining ellipses of progressively decreasing area from one end of the receptacle to the other, means closing the small end of the receptacle, means for pivotally mounting said receptacle on a tying machine with the wide part of the receptacle adapted to receive the material to be tied, and a stationary stop against which the material protruding from the compactor may rest to steady the pivoted compactor While the bundle is being tied.

3. In combination, a tying machine having a table and a material compactor disposed adjacent the table, said compactor comprising a receptacle for a portion of each bundle having a generally elliptical open end which progressively decreases in cross-sectional area away from said end `and a wall at the end opposite the open end closing the receptacle, said receptacle being pivotally mounted on the tying machine with said open end adjacent the table for receiving the material to be tied, and a stationary stop against which the material protruding from the compactor may rest to steady the pivoted compactor while the bundle is being tied.

4. In combination a tying machine and a compactor for bundles of loose brous material to be tied thereby, said compactor comprising a receptacle for a portion of each bundle having an inner surface defining an opening of progressively decreasing cross-sectional area from one end of the receptacle to the other, means for pivotally mounting said receptacle on a tying machine with the wide part of the receptacle adapted to receive the material to be tied, means for closing the opening in the receptacle at the part having the smallest cross-sectional area, and a stationary stop against which the material protruding from the compactor may rest to steady the pivoted cornpactor while the bundle is being tied.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 138,026 House Apr. 22, 1873 1,410,109 Magidson et al Mar. 21, 1922 1,606,290 Bunn Nov. 9, 1926 2,632,382 Knott Mar. 24, 1953 U S. DEPARTMENT OF CGMMEBCE PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No., 2,818,796 January '7, 1958 Benjamin H. Bunn nted specification ertiied that error appears in the pri t the said Letters It is hereby o correction and tha of the above numbered patent requiring Patent should read as corrected below.

-e untied n; line 58, for fornv line 49, for 11united read "marigns" read margins column 2, line 61, for after "assist" insert 4 i man Signed and sealed this 25th day of February 1958 (SEAL) Attest: KARL H. AXLINE Attesting Officer ROBERT C. WATSON Conmissioner ofPatents 

